Thursday, June 29, 2006

Individualized Spirituality

Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.

Spirituality without religion is popular in our American culture.  We like the idea of having a grasp on eternal life and ultimate reality without being told what to believe by some institution.  The researcher Barna recently noted how popular it is to believe in our own, individualized forms of god, and as a recent example the LA Times columnist Anne Lamott described herself as a Christian and promptly betrayed a very non Christian view of life and death.

Why are we tempted to believe that our own visions of god are superior to His revelation of Himself?  Would I let my children get away with their own mathematical machinations and call them correct?  Do I think my own imagination about quantum physics is deeper than Einstein’s?  Of course not, but when it comes to religion, the concept of God touches our souls in deep ways and we want to devise ways to tell him what to do instead of the other way around.

This has been Every Thought Captive.  I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies.  For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.

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